The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) has announced a 10-year, $20 million commitment from Novartis in support of students and faculty at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and medical schools.

With the goal of reducing financial barriers to a college education and equipping the next generation of leaders in health, business, and social equity-related fields, the Novartis US Foundation HBCU Scholarship program will provide up to $10,000 a year for up to 360 students at 27 institutions. Recipients also will have access to training, professional development, and opportunities for real-world skill application. In addition, 10 competitive faculty research grants of $25,000 a year will be offered to faculty at the participating HBCUs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the inequities Black Americans face, with recent data showing that higher rates of cases and deaths in predominantly Black counties are associated with social conditions and structural racism, not underlying health conditions. That inequity extends to Black underrepresentation across medical systems—not only among clinical trial participants but also among medical school students, physicians, and clinical trial investigators.

“While the world has focused on the numbers of COVID-19 positive infections and deaths, many have ignored the long-term educational and economic impacts of the pandemic—especially for Black Americans,” said TMCF president and CEO Harry L. Williams. “Although there has been attention to the great disparities of Black Americans contracting COVID-19, and the higher death rates for Black Americans than for other racial groups, this community will be living with COVID-19 impacts for the next two decades in economic, educational, and health outcomes.”

In addition, TMCF announced a $2.5 million gift from T-Mobile in support of scholarships for HBCU students and the National Black Talent Bank program launched in 2021 to help high school graduates jumpstart their professional careers and gain access to higher education pathways.

“The National Black Talent Bank will help us develop and recruit diverse students who will become tomorrow’s corporate leaders and experts,” said TMCF chief development officer George Spencer. “As an organization, TMCF understands how important it is to cultivate the future workforce of our nation. Creating the National Black Talent Bank is another step toward creating an inclusive workplace environment.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/SDI Productions)